Political Cartoons and Public Debates [History]

Library of Congress ^ | May 12, 2015 | Teacher's Guide

[donna]

For over two hundred years, whenever a debate has broken out in the United States, political cartoons have been there to take part in the argument—and sometimes to push it to its limits.

Beginning in 1754, when Benjamin Franklin’s “Join or Die” cartoon appeared in the Pennsylvania Gazette, political cartoonists have long used their skills to praise, attack, caricature, lampoon, and otherwise express their opinions on the most urgent political issues of the day.

Political cartoons began as a street-level phenomenon. In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, they were often posted on walls or passed from person to person, as well as being published in newspapers. By the end of the nineteenth century, they were an important part of the growing popularity of newspapers and magazines, and the intense competition for readership made provocative cartoons a valuable selling point

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, political cartoons appear in a wide range of online publications and can still stir up controversy.

Analyzing a political cartoon can lead to a deeper understanding of the issues addressed by the cartoon, as well as the historical context from which the issues arose. However, it can also raise interesting questions about the point of view of the cartoonist and shed light on the methods different cartoonists use to persuade their audience.

The items in this primary source set are grouped around several major events in U.S. history. Each group contains at least one cartoon and documents to provide some context on the issues the cartoon addresses.

[Cartoons at link]

[donna]

The Protestant Reformation began in Germany, and made extensive use of visual propaganda; the success of both Martin Luther’s socio-religious reforms and the discipline of political cartooning depended on a level of civilization neither too primitive nor too advanced.
http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/PUCK/part1.html